Oregon will partner with California, Washington and Hawaii in a new West Coast Health Alliance to coordinate vaccine guidelines in response to Trump administration changes to the CDC.
“President Donald Trump’s mass firing of CDC doctors and scientists — and his blatant politicization of the agency — is a direct assault on the health and safety of the American people,” Gov. Tina Kotek, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a joint statement.
The governors previously released a statement in response to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removing all members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel.
Hawaii was announced as a member of the alliance on Sept. 4, a day after it was formed.
Sejal Hathi, director of the Oregon Health Authority, said people should receive communications about vaccines that are “grounded in science, not ideology.”
“Vaccines are among the most powerful tools in modern medicine; they have indisputably saved millions of lives. But when guidance about their use becomes inconsistent or politicized, it undermines public trust at precisely the moment we need it most,” Hathi said. “That is why Oregon is committed, alongside California and Washington, to leading with science and delivering evidence-based recommendations that protect health, save lives, and restore confidence in our public health system.”
The purpose of the alliance is to have coordination among the states on vaccine guidelines and to combat “the Trump administration’s destruction of the U.S. CDC’s credibility and scientific integrity,” according to a news release. The recommendations will be based on guidance from national organizations.
The alliance will work “to protect access and reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers whenever possible,” according to a spokesperson for the Oregon Health Authority.
Oregon, Washington and California also worked together on public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Information on “shared principles” meant to increase public trust in vaccines will be released soon.
Anastasia Mason covers state government for the Statesman Journal. Reach her at acmason@statesmanjournal.com or 971-208-5615.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: West Coast Health Alliance formed in response to Trump’s CDC changes
